CHANGING THE PARADIGM
In Botswana, they call it natural capital.
It’s the value placed on the environment, a recognition that natural resources are fundamental to quality of life, fundamental to survival. The concept has been codified in the Gaborone Declaration for Sustainability in Africa, a forward-thinking development philosophy—hammered out in Botswana’s capital in 2012 and signed by 12 African nations—that demands that natural capital be not an afterthought, not at the periphery, but at the center of each economic decision.
I know this because my son, who studies economics, returned in January from a trip to Botswana. The country, among those who are experts in such things, is heralded as a progressive global leader, an economic model worthy of investigation by American college students. My son, arriving at JFK Airport in his dusty khakis and hiking boots, was more effervescent than ever in his young life, energized by a people so respectful of both their past and their future, as well as their homeland, its wildlife, and, significantly, each other. Jet-lag notwithstanding, he shared photos for two hours—the Kalahari Desert, the village of D’kar and its school and art gallery. Also so many animal photos, a formidable hippo, a sleepy family of lions, a dazzle of zebras. His group saw a rare female rhino—even the safari guides were stunned.
Natural Capital. Resources. Sustainability.
Such are the driving forces behind Edible Jersey’s Local Heroes; the 2018 winners are announced on page 42.
In other awards news, two Edible Jersey writers in January won prestigious awards of editorial excellence from Edible Communities, our network of nearly 100 magazines across the US and Canada. Best-selling author Christina-Baker Kline was a finalist in the Personal Essay category for A Suitcase of Tomatoes (Fall 2017). Jenn Hall was a finalist in the Sustainability category for Oyster Innovation (High Summer 2017).
In this issue, we continue the sustainability story, with a feature on global composting guru Meredith Sorensen (page 20), a child of Rumson. Another global force, the always-senergetic and revolutionary Alice Waters, a child of Chatham, is adamant that America is in the midst of another watershed moment. Waters, amid a tight schedule that included meetings with chef José Andrés and Barack Obama, nonetheless spoke exclusively to us at length; her insights are powerful, see page 28. On page 54, chef Ariane Duarte of Ariane Kitchen + Bar in Verona, one of the few chefs to beat Bobby Flay in a throwdown, shares her secrets for a steak dish she calls Flay Mignon.
I think of this issue as our power issue, all these Jersey women changing the world. It’s an honor to bring you their stories.
It’s an honor, too, to work for a community of magazines for which Sustainability is an awards category. And for which the revolutionaries who change the food paradigm are called heroes.
